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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23600965">Gratitude for Guardians</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qisas_wa_ahlam/pseuds/Qisas_wa_ahlam'>Qisas_wa_ahlam</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Freier Fall | Free Fall (2013)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:54:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23600965</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qisas_wa_ahlam/pseuds/Qisas_wa_ahlam</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A few years after my alternate ending to the movie Kay is faced with a very specific request from his boss.<br/>Can be read independently.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Marc Borgmann/Kay Engel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Gratitude for Guardians</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey everyone. It's been... forever. I know. And an unbelieveably crazy time. If you are interessted in what happend in the meantime and why this story is happeneing instead of a continuation of Every single step... please check my updated note (chap 13) there.</p><p>This story can be read on it's own.<br/>It's a couple of years after the events of the movie, if you just assume Kay never left Ludwigsburg and he &amp; Marc found a way to make it work, you're good to go.</p><p>the story feels (and maybe is) far away from what you've seen in the movie or in "every single step", but I am posting it anyways to get myself back to writing, back into this fandom and generally just try to use the writing muscles...<br/>That being said: I hope you enjoy and as always know that feedback is motivation.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h4> Melzheim Police station July 2017</h4><p>“Engel, can you come inside for a moment?  Please close the door.”<br/>
Kay took a seat opposite of the station head and took a calming breath. Whatever shitty task he would be handed now, he would accept it with grace. He would be friendly and make it sound like an opportunity. He planned to transfer to Stuttgart or at least Heilbronn in the next 6 to 8 months, he needed a positive review just as much as he needed to get out of this stifling small-town police department.</p><p>“Engel, I’m sure you’re wondering why I am calling you into my office today. You can relax, it’s not about silly archiving work any other shitty extra tasks. We’re speaking today because I need you to attend a special event.” He looked straight at Kay, waiting for any kind of reply.<br/>
“M-hm. I’m listening.”<br/>
“Six weeks from now, on Sunday September 24th will be the 400 year anniversary of “gratitude for our guardians” and the mayor himself has requested me to ensure that everyone and their wives and families participate.”</p><p>
Kay took a deep breath, mind racing to find some sensible, acceptable but ultimately negative reply. Ever since starting to work in the small police department of Welzheim he had managed to avoid the local tradition and he sure as hell had planned to do it this year as well, booking a holiday around the first weekend of October where it had been marked red in the local calendars every year.</p><p>
“Engel, please listen. I know you are a private person. From the first day here, you didn’t give any other details than that you are off the market and I respect that. But you have been working with us for over three years now and you haven’t attended a single family event. You have avoided the “gratitude day” every single year.<br/>
People notice, and in small towns like this… people talk. And I don’t dramatize when I say that when you rushed off into the hospital because of your son’s appendicitis three months ago, all of us were shocked. Not that you have a child or that he’s sick .... but that you actually gave us the information that you have a son in kindergarten who has been brought to hospital - instead of giving a general wording like “private emergency”. That's the most - the only information - we ever got from you.</p><p>See, I’m not asking you to move here with your family, become a member of the local soccer club or to give interviews to the local newspaper. All I’m asking for is that you bring your wife for this one afternoon. It’s actually fun. Besides our team the whole fire department will be there with their families as well, the city will provide free drinks, music, and bouncy castle for the kids, some games and in the afternoon the wives will receive some flowers and gifts from the community.” The chief stopped when he noticed that Kay was putting a friendly to indifferent face in front but was actually calculating something in his head and not really listening to him.</p><p>Chief Siebert sighed. “Engel, please. I promise I will not ask again in the next 3 years, 5 years if I must. But it’s the 400-year anniversary, the biggest social event this tiny town has seen in a long while. They even moved it to September so that there is no overlap with the fall festivals in the neighboring communities! The mayor and some of the volunteers have asked specifically about you….<br/>
Damn, ever since you got that little girl out of the sinking car, you’re a local hero here. Give them a chance to thank you.” He looked at Kay intently.</p><p>
He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, “Okay Sir, I will attend this. But I cannot promise that my family…I don’t think…”<br/>
“Engel!” Siebert interrupted him his voice turning to the no-nonsense –you-will-do-as-I-tell-you-tone he usually only brought out when dealing with drunks at the station.<br/>
“Enough. It’s been over three fucking years. If your wife has let’s say… health issues, or if she doesn’t speak the language or … hell if you made her up so the office ladies won’t hit on you... I don’t care. The citizens want to thank all the wives of the brave men protecting them. I had to promise the mayor to bring all the brave men and their wives. You work here, they know you, you have to show up. But no one needs to know your actual wife. You can bring … I don’t know… your cousin, your friends’ wife, hell get on Tinder and bring a fucking one-night stand, for all I care. You’re good looking I’m sure you can find someone to accompany you for one damn day, can’t you?”</p><p>
Kay felt that any reply other than “yes sir” would lead to further discussions. So he gave in, knowing that there would be a discussion for him at home with Marc. “Sir, I understand.”<br/>
“So I will confirm you and your family’s attendance to the mayor. Thank you Engel. You can leave now.”<br/>
Kay got up from the seat and immediately took his phone out. He opened the messenger app and wrote quickly.</p><p>
<em>Are you free tonight? Have something to talk about after dinner…</em></p><p>Marc’s reply came within a minute and made him smile.</p><p>
<em>Why do I get the feeling it’s not good news?<br/>
Will be home by 7. Love you.<br/>
Even if you agreed to another useless security training.</em> </p>
<h4> later that night...</h4><p>At night Kay was placing the last item of the dinner cutlery into the dish washer and so much in thought about the words of his department head, that he didn’t hear Marc sneak up on him. He more or less stumbled into him when the brunette wrapped his arms around his waist.<br/>
“what’s bothering you? Cyber security training will kill our weekend in Berlin or some nonsense ?” Marc breathed into Kays neck hugging him close to his chest.</p><p>Kay relaxed into the embrace, let his head fall back onto Marcs shoulder for a short moment and sighed.<br/>
“No, no more trainings. And I will definitly be in Berlin with you... it's ...Welzheim wants to thank my wife for allowing me to work in the dangerous job of the city’s police. They want to show their gratitude to me and my wife for all the sacrifices we make to keep them safe.<br/>
Ach, it’s this silly tradition, a major show this year. Apparently, the mayor explicitly demanded my attendance and Siebert made me promise I show up.</p><p>
“So, you’re this tense and worried because you think I will not accompany you in a lovely dirndl or some traditional costume and play the demure housewife?” Marc answered deadpan.</p><p>
Kay chuckled and turned around. He gave Marc a quick kiss and grabbed to beers from the fridge.”I definetly don't want to see you in a dirndl. Let’s sit down and think”. Marc followed him into the living room and took a sip from his beer.<br/>
“Siebert told me I could bring a Tinder date, as long as I promise to show up”</p><p>
“Siebert knows Tinder? This is more shocking than the request that you participate in the local traditions… “</p><p>
“In a way, yeah” Kay agreed. He looked around the room and then he continued. “You know, I thought about it, about taking Jenny or Lis or anyone to this Sunday of folklore and beer. It’s the 400-year anniversary, it’s supposed to be the biggest event for Melzheim in… probably forever. So I should play my part. And bring a wife.”</p><p>
“But, you don’t want to.” Marc analyzed. “At the same time you don’t want to take me because you’re afraid how they will react and how atmosphere at work will change.”</p><p>
“Maybe.” Kay replied. ”I don’t want to drag you into this, you’ve had enough shit at your station over the years and from what I gather from lunch talk most of my colleagues are as conservative as you would imagine them to be. Maybe it’s better if I play along with their expectations.”</p><p>
“What if I wanna show up as your wife?”</p><p>
Kay stared at Marc’s face intensively, one eyebrow raised. “What are you saying?”</p><p>“I’m saying that you hate hiding. You don’t want to do it. The idea of pretending that one of our friends is your wife makes your shoulders sink and something inside you scream. You’re just trying to logic and justify that plan to yourself. So let me do the logic in the opposite direction.<br/>
What is the worst that can happen if we go together? One very awkward afternoon and a few months of silly comments at work. You said yourself that noone in that department is physically intimidating or fit enough to be considerd more dangerous than a house cat.<br/>
The afternoon is a big anniversary, I expect it to be complete with local politicians and local media and shit. They will stare but no one will do anything. We don’t live there, and I literally never set foot into that city. I won’t have to any day after that celebration. And you want to move to another department anyways next year.” Marc explained and saw that Kay was starting a mental pro and contra list right away.</p><p>
“Plus it could be really funny to see Seibert trying to find the words to address me as “police officer Engels wife” or try to figure out who of us is “the girl”.” Marc smiled at his love over the neck of the beer bottle.<br/>
Kay chuckled. “I think that one is obvious. I am the brave bearded protector of Welzheim, you with the longer hair and the high cheekbones are definitely the girl.”</p><p>
“That so? I thought me protecting Ludwigsburg which is more than 10 times the size of Welzheim is very manly. Plus you’re way prettier than me. And soft colors suit you.”</p><p>
“Who cares about colors? I can outrun you, benchpress more than you and I definitely have the stronger arms.” Kay argued flexing his biceps in demonstration.</p><p>
“Hmm, I think I can beat you on the way upstairs” Marc smiled eyes moving in the direction of their bedroom.</p><p>
Kay laughed before his voice turned more serious. “You’d really go with me?”<br/>
“I love you. Yes, I would.” Marc leaned over and placed a kiss on Kay’s mouth.</p><p>
“You don’t have to decide tonight, give yourself time to think about it.” He kissed Kay again and moved his hand in light touches over his arm, up to the neck. Once his finger reached the sensitive spot behind the ear he rubbed onto it lightly before leaning in close. “finish your beer and meet me upstairs”.</p><p>
The hairs on Kays arms were standing up and a hot rush of arousal flooded his veins. He would definitely take Marc up on this offer.</p>
<h4> Sunday 24th fo September 2017 </h4><p>
“Okay, young man, there should be some kids your age and games and there will be cake later. Papa and me have to do some boring adult stuff for a few minutes and then we will try to do something fun with you. Understood?” Kay was helping Sebastian out of the car and felt every second less sure that it was a good idea to bring the little boy along for what could become a very awkward afternoon. They had parked in a side street of the city square where the celebrations were already starting. When they opened the car door, they could already hear music and laughter. Dressed casual but nice neither Kay nor Marc could hide their nerves from each other. Marc took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders and back and walked around the car.<br/>
Once he was beside Kay he whispered “breath evenly , pussy”. </p><p>The words had their desired effect.<br/>
Kay had to laugh at himself for a moment and broke into one of the brilliant smiles that light up his whole face. Marc took his hand and just appreciated the feeling of joy and gratefulness that came from his heart. The moment was interrupted by an annoyed huff<br/>
“Can we gooo already ? I wanna go to the music!” Sebastian was pulling Kays arm in the direction of city square. The couple smiled at him and hand in hand the three of them started to walk to the festival of Welzheim. When they appeared on the already decently filled city square, they could feel eyes on them. They could hear some conversations dropping to murmurs and Kay may also have spotted the mayor dropping his beer bottle with a look of open shock. It didn’t matter.</p><p>
“Let me introduce you to Siebert first, he should be somewhere close to the tent over there” Kay said to Marc. They only had to walk a few steps to the tent labeled “Police “ before Marc could identify him. Kay had made too many jokes about the beer belly that was half of his chief to mistake the person.</p><p>
Kay squeezed his hand firmly once more before approaching and greeting in a cordial voice “Chief Seibert! Hello, good to see you.”<br/>
The chief looked a bit irritated at Kay but shook his hand nonetheless. “good to see you made it! Now who exactly would this be ?” he asked with an edge to his with voice.<br/>
Kay smiled brightly and truly enjoyed the following moment “Chief, allow me to introduce you to my fiancé, Marc Borgmann”.</p><p>
“Fiancé?” Seibert repeated irritated before catching himself and extending a hand to Marc. “oh.. ehm.. hello, nice to meet you.”</p><p>
Marc smiled, replied friendly and fought with himself not to laugh. This afternoon was starting promisingly.</p>
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